Some names on this year’s Grand Point North schedule might have you go “Woo-hoo!” while others might leave you saying, “Who?”

This rundown of the who’s-who at this year’s festival should help you sort through the 16 acts who’ll be joining Grace Potter, the festival’s host who headlines at 8:45 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday.

Saturday

WHO: Jackson Browne

WHEN: 7:35 p.m.

WHY: Well, he’s a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, for one. The California native and renowned activist is the quintessential sensitive singer-songwriter, and his hits range from “Doctor My Eyes” to “Running On Empty” and “Take It Easy.” Browne has Vermont ties that include his goddaughter, Ariel Zevon, the daughter of late California rocker Warren Zevon who lives in the Northeast Kingdom and released her own album this year.

CLOSE

Ariel Zevon performs "Refugee Without a Nation" from her album "The Detangler".
GLENN RUSSELL/FREE PRESS

WHY: She’s about as intense as a singular performer can be. Don’t let her preferred musical weapon, an acoustic guitar, fool you – DiFranco can wallop you over the head with the frank clarity of her words, voice and persona. Makes sense that Vermont native Anais Mitchell, formerly on the DiFranco-owned Righteous Babe record label, chose her to portray the Greek goddess Persephone on her “Hadestown” folk-opera album.

WHY: This Philadelphia group played in Vermont not too long ago, opening for Neko Case at the Barre Opera House in January. The even-larger slot they’re getting at Grand Point North reflects the rising reputation of these folk-rockers called “at once amiable and soaring” by National Public Radio.

WHO: Darlingside

WHEN: 5:10 p.m.

WHY: Do you like harmonies? These guys will give ‘em to ya. They hail from Boston and pay regular visits to Vermont music venues such as Higher Ground, who as they always do will be presenting Grand Point North this weekend.

WHO: Clever Girls

WHEN: 4:40 p.m.

WHY: Grand Point North regularly devotes about half of its schedule to Vermont acts, and this is one of the most-interesting newer bands on the Burlington scene of late. Clever Girls mine some of that minimalist, chiming territory that made Galaxie 500 and Yo La Tengo indie-rock heroes, adding western twang or a hint of grunge to widen their musical spectrum.

WHO: West End Blend

WHEN: 4:10 p.m.

WHY: They call themselves “a high-energy funk and soul powerhouse,” and who doesn’t want that at a music festival? This Hartford, Connecticut, ensemble brings ample horns and tons of soul to dance-inducing songs such as “Smile” and the smooth, hip-hop powered “What It’s All About.”

WHO: Miku Daza

WHEN: 3:40 p.m.

WHY: This Burlington act has a funky side, too, but mixes that sound with glam-rock attitude and a dose of punky energy a la Gogol Bordello. The best thing about Miku Daza is that the music is tough to pigeonhole, which should be the goal of just about every band.

Miku Daza performs at 3:40 p.m. Saturday at the Grand Point North festival in Burlington.(Photo: COURTESY ARIELLE LOVES PHOTOGRAPHY)

WHO: Nina’s Brew

WHEN: 3:15 p.m.

WHY: It’s one thing to open for another band, but to open an entire two-day festival? That’s a big deal, especially for a band that’s only been together for less than a year. Fans of fellow Burlington group Dwight & Nicole might dig the more-easygoing soul of Nina’s Brew.

Sunday

WHO: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

WHEN: 6:35 p.m.

WHY: There’s nothing easygoing about this soul music, or at least about the big-voiced, Denver-based singer who fronts the group. This should start a rousing festival sendoff as the penultimate set at this year’s Grand Point North.

The Magpie Salute performs at 5:45 p.m. Sunday at Grand Point North in Burlington.(Photo: COURTESY SHERVIN LAINEZ)

WHO: The Magpie Salute

WHEN: 5:45 p.m.

WHY: Think about the band’s name – a magpie is a member of the crow family – and you might find a clue as to the group’s origin. The Magpie Salute is made up of Rich Robinson and a couple of other former members of The Black Crowes. That should also tip you off to the hefty blues-rock sure to follow.

Buy Photo

Caroline Rose, who met many
of her band mates while living in Burlington, will perform at Grand Point North at 5 p.m. Sunday.(Photo: RYAN MERCER/FREE PRESS FILE)

WHY: Because no musical artist in recent memory has changed her persona so drastically, and so effectively, as this one-time Burlington resident. Rose’s new album, “Loner,” brings out all the unbridled weirdness of her engaging personality, and her revamped live show barely resembles the rockabilly-inclined set she presented in her previous Grand Point North appearance four years ago.

Sister Sparrow performs at 4:15 p.m. Sunday at the Grand Point North festival.(Photo: COURTESY SHERVIN LAINEZ)

WHO: Sister Sparrow

WHEN: 4:15 p.m.

WHY: Speaking of changing personas, this band born in the Catskills of New York state was known as Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds before truncating its moniker for the forthcoming album, “Gold,” due Oct. 12. That move casts charismatic singer Arleigh Kincheloe more prominently in the lead role for this soul-rock ensemble.

*

WHO: Seth Yacovone Band

WHEN: 3:45 p.m.

WHY: This is the only local act on the agenda that’s been in the public eye in Vermont longer than the festival’s Waitsfield-born creator. The Wolcott native wowed Phish guitar god Trey Anastasio enough more than two decades ago to launch his career that has taken him from wunderkind to the wise wizard of Vermont’s blues-rock scene.

WHY: The name would fit a trippy jam band, but the New Hampshire group’s music rises above with a funkier sound closely aligned with that of Saturday act West End Blend. Happy horns and big, bad bass get the dance grooves groovin’.

*

WHO: JUPTR

WHEN: 2:45 p.m.

WHY: Potter spoke to the Burlington Free Press this year about returning more to her soulful roots, which may explain the presence of so many soulful acts at this year’s festival. JUPTR brings that mellow vibe home with an afternoon hometown show in the (we hope) brilliant sunshine of Waterfront Park.

*

WHO: Julia Caesar

WHEN: 2:15 p.m.

WHY: The first slot of a festival day tends to be lightly attended, especially after a late-ish Saturday night. You probably don’t want to miss out on this Burlington band that plays indie-rock with just enough bite to leave a mark.

Contact Brent Hallenbeck at 660-1844 or bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com. Follow Brent on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BrentHallenbeck.